Reality TV star Whitney Purvis accused of ‘involuntary manslaughter' in connection to friend's overdose death
Purvis, who rose to fame on MTV's hit show 16 And Pregnant, is being held at Floyd County Jail near Rome, Georgia, in connection with the death of John Mark Harris.
According to the report, Purvis is accused of distributing a combination of fentanyl and xylazine — known as 'tranq' — that led to Harris' overdose death in February.
Purvis is also being charged with distribution of a controlled substance and use of a communication device to commit a felony involving controlled substances.
In his obituary, Harris was described as a chef and graduate of the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia.
'John Mark never met a stranger and had a way of caring for those who crossed his path,' his obituary read.
'Whether it was bandaging a wound, trips to the airport, or a place to lay their heads for a time, he was willing to lend a hand.
'He loved fiercely and would do anything he could for one of his friends.'
In May, Purvis announced the death of her teenage son, Weston, at age 16.
While an official cause of death has not been made public, Weston had battled several medical conditions including diabetes.
'This is so hard to write. My beautiful son, Weston, has passed away. He was only 16 years old,' Purvis wrote on Facebook.
'Life is so cruel and unfair. I just don't understand.
'Oh, my baby is gone and I don't know what to do with myself. He was so perfect. This is really my worst nightmare come true.
'How do you go on in life after losing a child? I'm in disbelief, this cannot be happening. I don't want it to be real. I would do anything just to hold him. Words just can't describe the pain I am feeling.
'I love you so much, Weston Owen Gosa. God, I love you so much. You are my heart. I was so proud of the young man you were becoming.
'I just can't go on without you. Rest in Peace, my angel. You are gone too soon. April 2, 2009 to June 2, 2025.'
Weston was born during the first season of 16 And Pregnant.
His father Weston Lewis Gosa Sr, who had been Purvis' boyfriend at the time, shared his own heartbreaking tribute.
'You'll forever be my lil boy,' Gosa wrote.
'I'll live the rest of my days with you in my heart. God, I wish this was all just a bad dream.
'You're free now from all the complications you had to deal with for the last six years or so. Fly high baby boy, daddy loves you more than you could have ever known.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
9 hours ago
- Perth Now
Terry Gilliam enjoys watching Donald Trump and Elon Musk argue 'like children in the playground'
Terry Gilliam has almost enjoyed seeing Donald Trump and Elon Musk "go at each other like two children in the playground". The President of the United States and his former friend fell out recently over a proposed spending bill, with the pair taking shots at each other over the past few weeks. Monty Python star Terry told Deadline: "I'm almost finding it enjoyable to listen to Trump and Musk go at each other like two children in the playground. "It's the world's richest man and the world's most powerful man behaving like that." Just this week, the 78-year-old commander-in-chief hit out at his former friend and advisor after the tech mogul declared his intention to start his own political party, the America Party. Although Terry, AGE, admitted it's "fascinating", he did take aim at the way the Trump administration is trying to tackle immigration. He added: "That's kind of fascinating and entertaining, and I think the idea of pushing all those people out of California, in all of America, that's the workforce folks, it isn't going to give more jobs to Americans. "We need immigrants. The same thing happened when Britain left Europe." The filmmaker - who was born in Minnesota, grew up in Los Angeles and later became a naturalised British citizied in 1968 - insisted he has no intention of living in the US again, having formally renounced his citizenship in 2006. He said: "I haven't been back to [live in] America since whenever it was, and I don't intend to. "I think America is in a very difficult position now because Trump and company are quite extraordinary. "On the other hand, he may actually succeed where other people didn't, in a strange way. It's like Richard Nixon, you know, brought about the rapprochement with China." Over the weekend, Tesla boss Musk revealed his plans to set up a political party to give people "back [their] freedom". He wrote on X, which he owns : 'By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste + graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. 'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.' The president fired back on his own Truth Social platform: 'I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely 'off the rails,' essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks. "He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States."
News.com.au
19 hours ago
- News.com.au
16 and Pregnant star Whitney Purvis arrested one month after son's death
16 and Pregnant star Whitney Purvis has been arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter following a fatal overdose. New York Post can confirm that Purvis, 33, was booked in Floyd County, Georgia, on Monday, July 7. Purvis was charged with aggravated involuntary manslaughter, distribution of a controlled substance and use of a communication device to commit a felony involving controlled substances, according to documents obtained by New York Post. The involuntary manslaughter charge is related to Purvis' alleged distribution of a drug called tranq, which is a mix of fentanyl and xylazine, reported TMZ. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that Purvis allegedly supplied the victim, John Mark Harris, with the tranq that led to his overdose death on February 17. The Statement of Criminal Charges connected to Purvis' arrest and obtained by The Post alleged that the former reality star committed the offences the previous day. It was also revealed that the 16 and Pregnant star left a lengthy comment on Harris' obituary page days after his death. She thanked Harris for 'being such a great friend' and 'always making me feel beautiful.' 'John mark, I hate that I found out what happened today and missed your funeral,' Purvis wrote on March 3. 'I wish I could've found out sooner and attended your celebration of life. thank you for being such a great friend to me and always making me feel beautiful and cared for.' 'Rest in peace and my condolences to your family and friends,' she added in the message. 'I pray they are able to find some kind of comfort during this tragic time. I love you forever, John Mark.' The Post reached out to MTV for comment. Purvis' arrest and charges come just weeks after her 16-year-old son, Weston, suddenly passed away. The former MTV star announced the shocking news on June 2. 'This is so hard to write. My beautiful son, Weston has passed away. He was only 16 years old. Life is so cruel and unfair. I just don't understand,' she wrote on Facebook at the time. 'Oh my baby is gone and I don't know what to do with myself,' Purvis said. 'He was so perfect. This is really my worst nightmare come true. How do you go on in life after losing a child?' She welcomed Weston with her ex, Weston Gosa, in April 2009. The pair welcomed another son, River, in 2014, but split shortly after. Meanwhile, Purvis was allegedly denied entry to her son's funeral last month because she reportedly arrived late to the service. She took to Facebook shortly after to blame her ex for their son's death, saying that it 'could've been prevented.' 'My son had diabetes, Addison's disease, and alpha one anti-trypsin deficiency, and he had no medical insurance,' she wrote on June 18. 'But he had a life insurance policy taken out on him. His dad bought five cars in the last six months but couldn't pay for medical insurance.' 'He brags about how much money he has and has the nerve to make a GoFundMe to help bury him when he was just going to cremate him anyway because it was the cheapest, plus he had the life insurance policy,' she added. 'His death could've been prevented.'
7NEWS
19 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Reality TV star Whitney Purvis accused of ‘involuntary manslaughter' in connection to friend's overdose death
Former US reality TV star Whitney Purvis has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to a fatal overdose of a friend earlier this year, according to a report in Deadline. Purvis, who rose to fame on MTV's hit show 16 And Pregnant, is being held at Floyd County Jail near Rome, Georgia, in connection with the death of John Mark Harris. According to the report, Purvis is accused of distributing a combination of fentanyl and xylazine — known as 'tranq' — that led to Harris' overdose death in February. Purvis is also being charged with distribution of a controlled substance and use of a communication device to commit a felony involving controlled substances. In his obituary, Harris was described as a chef and graduate of the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. 'John Mark never met a stranger and had a way of caring for those who crossed his path,' his obituary read. 'Whether it was bandaging a wound, trips to the airport, or a place to lay their heads for a time, he was willing to lend a hand. 'He loved fiercely and would do anything he could for one of his friends.' In May, Purvis announced the death of her teenage son, Weston, at age 16. While an official cause of death has not been made public, Weston had battled several medical conditions including diabetes. 'This is so hard to write. My beautiful son, Weston, has passed away. He was only 16 years old,' Purvis wrote on Facebook. 'Life is so cruel and unfair. I just don't understand. 'Oh, my baby is gone and I don't know what to do with myself. He was so perfect. This is really my worst nightmare come true. 'How do you go on in life after losing a child? I'm in disbelief, this cannot be happening. I don't want it to be real. I would do anything just to hold him. Words just can't describe the pain I am feeling. 'I love you so much, Weston Owen Gosa. God, I love you so much. You are my heart. I was so proud of the young man you were becoming. 'I just can't go on without you. Rest in Peace, my angel. You are gone too soon. April 2, 2009 to June 2, 2025.' Weston was born during the first season of 16 And Pregnant. His father Weston Lewis Gosa Sr, who had been Purvis' boyfriend at the time, shared his own heartbreaking tribute. 'You'll forever be my lil boy,' Gosa wrote. 'I'll live the rest of my days with you in my heart. God, I wish this was all just a bad dream. 'You're free now from all the complications you had to deal with for the last six years or so. Fly high baby boy, daddy loves you more than you could have ever known.'
